Eurostar faces weeks of disruption

Rail services through the fire-hit Channel Tunnel are likely to be disrupted for weeks, Eurostar has warned.

One of two tunnels under the English channel remained closed while French authorities investigated Thursday's blaze.

The unaffected south tunnel has reopened, allowing limited Eurostar train services and some freight shuttles to operate.

Thousands of holidaymakers were stranded after the 16-hour blaze, which started on a Folkestone to Calais train about seven miles from the French end, shut the link between Britain and France.

Many expressed relief when they discovered some Eurostar trains were running on a revised timetable.

Information boards at St Pancras International said: "Eurostar is operating a temporary timetable and expects to run 12 trains each way between London and Paris, six trains each way between London and Brussels and the daily service each way between London and Disneyland Resort Paris."

But Eurostar warned people not to travel unless absolutely necessary over the coming days and said problems could continue for weeks.

Spokeswoman Lesley Ritallack said: "They can either book later or obtain a refund. We are having the people from Thursday and Friday and with a reduced service we still have a lot of people wanting to travel.

"They will find they have to wait because their train will go at a different time, people will experience longer waiting periods, it will be very busy and crowded at times and journey times will be longer.

"We are looking at weeks that we will be running a reduced service with longer journey times."